Some days we crawl into bed utterly exhausted, only to get up the next day and do it again. There’s nothing attractive about this moment. And others might even question if it’s worth it. But this is a good exhaustion when it comes from good work.
Of course, there are many who burn themselves out in the proverbial rat race – always grinding while slowly killing their souls along the way. And many others have made an idol of work and no longer know how to take the day off and rest.
But we were created to work. And good work is still work – meaning it will come at the cost of our blood, sweat, and tears. It’s suffering, but a sweet agony. In fact, it’s similar to the exhaustion we might experience following an orgasm. However tired and ready for sleep we might be in that moment, the journey was worth it and something we would readily do again.
Good work functions in a similar way. On the one hand, we’re completely spent after pouring out our life force to bring more life and goodness into the world. At the same time, we wouldn’t have it any other way because we’re doing what we’ve been called to do, which brings an indescribable joy to our souls.
To be sure, there’s still a place to rest. And we must also ensure we’re not neglecting our relational responsibilities. But we don’t have to assume exhaustion by itself is a bad thing. And this might require us to resist the well-meaning encouragement from others to stop fighting the good fight just because it takes a lot out of us.
In the end, work hard and enjoy your rest. There’s nothing wrong being a bit exhausted after a good day of meaningful work.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
